I have ended my contract with the UBports Foundation

rik

"Don't worry, your grandfather died doing this work!"

That was a strange way I was greeted one even in Khartoum, Sudan, in 2010 as it was well past sunset and I was still working away on the network infrastructure at the NGO I was volunteering with. The speaker was this elderly Sudanese man who was encouraging me that I couldn't get it all done in one night, so take some rest. His words sounded funny though because my first thought was: "Huh? My grandfather didn't know anything about running CAT5!?!" but as I thought about it what he was saying was "you can't do it all, there will always be more to do than 1 person can do." In some ways that is "fatalistic thinking": will we never make it?? But it is also true.

So this is what I am acknowledging and passing on to you to, good sir:

"Don't worry, your grandfather died trying to get 20.04 out the door."

So, wishing you a good break and a re-kindling of passion. We will make it with help from the community that ebbs and flows but continues on.... it may not be as you thought it would be when you first took on the reigns as Development Manager, but you have led us a long way, and you deserve some rest and acknowledgement that your effort was so appreciated by so many.

wgarcia

@unisuperbox Thanks a lot for all the fish!

matteo

Sad about this news, I always thought you @UniSuperBox were one of the pillars of this project. However it was evident something was happening behind the scenes, because your interventions were always rare and rare. I hope you'll recover soon and health must be always in a due care, so take your time with no rush. Of course I hope you'll eventually come back, much stronger than before ;). Anyways, please consider my personal side thought: you are still young and you have had the envied position of being contracted and earn some money doing what you like doing the most (at least you always seemed so passionate about this job). I'm a chemical engineer and I find my daily job boring because there isn't creativity nor fantasy at all in what I do. In your job instead, at which you are skilled and talented without any doubt, you have the chance to count, to steering where the project is going and to put your creativity at Community service. None of you devs was ever supposed to get burning out, this is a volunteer project. Sometimes I just feel you devs want to do too much but bear in mind you don't owe anything to the Community, because you are delivering code for free and things can be moved forward at slow pace, the pace that most suits to you.
Said that, have a rest dear Dalton and see you soon

muskist

Thanks for everything! All the best to you!

Bolly

Thank you very much, without you it would not have been the same. And now it's time to recharge your batteries.

Take care of yourself.

nero355

@unisuperbox said in I have ended my contract with the UBports Foundation:

However, I've already stated that I experienced burnout last year. I took a week off in October to attempt to alleviate the problem. It was not enough.

Extend that to at least 2 years I would say and hopefully you will begin to feel a lot better just like I did at the time!

The fight is not over yet, but a lot of progress has been made over the years step-by-step

At this point, I think I've read every self-help book. I'm a newfound expert in getting rid of distractions, reducing stress, working intensely, being kind to myself, self-reflection, and generally being more productive or healthy.

Those books can be really good and in my case showed me how much progress I had made up to that point but please make sure to find a doctor or specialist who actually knows what he is doing and talking about!

There is a huge chance that most doctors have no idea how to help you because they don't check for signs of advertising content removed by moderator at all!

Have you read the book this guy has written ??
It's brilliant!

I wish you all the best with the recovery and hope it lasts as short as possible!

UniSuperBox

@nero355

I would prefer you did not post alternative medicine that is not only unproven, but disproven and expensive, here. Thank you for understanding.

mathuss

Thankyou for all your efforts.. Hope you find what you are looking for..Take care

A Former User

Very sad to see you go Dalton but you have made the right choice...because your body told you it was. Admirable.

One thing I found, that helped me after spending so much time in the digital world which can leave you feeling isolated and soul searching. I packed up a rucksack with camping gear and headed out into nature with friends, away from technology completely. Sit around a campfire regularly, laugh, tell stories, bond. Oh and jumping out of a plane helped immensely too

I hope to see you around here and there from time to time, but when the time is right.

Take care buddy.

aarontheissueguy

Thank you for all that you have done for our community. Make sure to take all the time you need to recharge or find a new passion alltogether.

You are the reason I stuck with UT and started developing for it. Thank you for that.

There will be a special place in the heart of the UbPorts community for you .

farkasdvd

@unisuperbox said in I have ended my contract with the UBports Foundation:

I'm all too familiar with the speculation when a project leader resigns.

My first thoughts: he's either got a better job or he's been cancelled

From all the self-help books I've read I've learned 2 main lessons: always take responsibility for your life (i.e. don't blame others if things are not going your way) and self-love. Without responsibility you are basically giving up your freedom of choice (you become a victim) and without self-love you can't do what's best for you (e.g. would you want to harm your body by unhealthy food or behavior if you really love yourself?).
Following these rules helped me a lot and seems like you are now also acting according to them. I see a nice future ahead of you

Thank you for everything you've done for the community.

UniSuperBox

@farkasdvd said in I have ended my contract with the UBports Foundation:

My first thoughts: he's either got a better job or he's been cancelled

Nope

I see a nice future ahead of you.

Thank you. I've really appreciated your help with testing.

Danct12

Thank you for your great work on Ubuntu Touch. Wish you the best.

arubislander

Ah...

It is difficult to find the right words to write.

I could write about your encouraging attitude and your clear-sightedness in envisioning a future goal, and dedication to seeing it achieved.

Or about your capacity for keeping people pursuing disparate short term aims onboard, and working together towards the common goal. Keeping all the frogs in the wheelbarrow, so to speak.

Or about your desire to give consideration to every voice in the Community and agonizing over how to do right by everyone.

I could go on, but you know you. Maybe you would see things differently, but this is what I have seen from you.

You have done really, really well by the project. Now go do really really, well by yourself. Hopefully this experience will help you find a way in future to do both, by you, and by whatever endeavor you passionately dedicate yourself to.

I look forward to seeing you shine!

Aury88

@unisuperbox Thanks you for all your hard work on Ubports.
I'm very sad thinking I will not heard your brilliant Q&As anymore but it is a choice that I understand perfectly.
I really wish you all the success and happiness you deserve and I hope, in the future, to see you here again, maybe in a less stressful role, but still here.

Good luck in anything you will do.

nero355

@unisuperbox said in I have ended my contract with the UBports Foundation:

I would prefer you did not post alternative medicine that is not only unproven, but disproven and expensive, here. Thank you for understanding.

Just trying to help and mainly talking about the book the guy has written.

I have nothing to do with the medicine but a lot of people suffer from the issue mentioned and it's really hard to find someone to help you with it...

Do whatever you think is best with the info provided

Josué

@unisuperbox
I hope that you recover soon Dalton. Thank you for all that you have done.
I hope see you here frequently once your had recovered.

Josele13

@unisuperbox Hi Dalton, I am sad that you are leaving us and that you are not with us in this Ubuntu Touch journey, I don't know you very well but I think you are a person with a lot of potential and involved in your work, you have done too much in our community and I thank you very much, I know what you are going through, I was in a company that forced me to work more than normal, first you have the physical exhaustion and then you have the mental exhaustion, it is impossible to escape from that and I ended up changing company, it is not good for you so much stress and pressure, I still wonder how come you don't have more days for yourselves, holidays or that the Q&A is only one or two days a month.
I appreciate your hard work, rest and enjoy your time, your mind will thank you for it.

jonius

Dear Dalton. Thank you very much for all the hard work. The community wouldn't be what it is today without you. You can be proud of it. And honestly, you have exceeded my expectations. From the bottom of my heart i wish you to recover and find profound joy again. God bless you!

Opolork

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